THE ED MYLETT SHOW - Eric Thomas - The Hip-Hop Preacher

Episode Date: May 1, 2018

Eric Thomas, Ph.D. is a critically acclaimed author, World-renowned speaker, educator, pastor and audible.com Audie Awards Finalist. ET, as he is better known, has taken the world by storm, with his creative style and high-energy messages. His words continue to impact tens of millions of people in several hundred countries across the planet! Through a significant social media presence and his recent domestic and international tours, “ET, The Hip Hop Preacher” has become a global phenomenon! Eric’s spiritual walk, tenacity and drive are the perfect example of his quote,“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you‘ll be successful.” At a recent business meeting, Eric had the opportunity to learn more ‘Secrets of Success’ from Mr. Warren Buffett. This invitation-only event, broadened his mind and further strengthened his resolve to empower others in their pursuit of greatness. Drawing from his own personal experiences as they relate to homelessness, the absence of his biological father, scholastic struggles, and various other obstacles, ET allows his life to be an “open book” from which radiates dynamic and inspiring messages that relate to many people across all strata.

This is the Edmila show. [♪ Music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in Hey, we're so glad to have you here. Thank you so much. Beautiful home. Thank you. Thank you for family, man. I feel, yeah, I don't do a lot of this. So those who know me know, I've probably done two, three podcasts. Yeah, well, wow.

So this is, yeah, it's special. And as good as this, have you here? It's better to have D.D. Your wife here with you. Definitely. Figuring it all out. Yeah, yeah, no question. So thank you.

Thank you. So this Eric Thomas, as you all know. And in my opinion, you guys know that I've been speaking for a long time. I think this is an anointed, gifted, incredible communicator, because it comes from your heart. You're just, you're outstanding. So this, today, what I want to do,

because I feel like people wanted to see me and you together. Well, they want to see you, right? And I get a chance. But you know what I'm saying? And I want to talk exclusively today about you and about winning, because that's what we want. I want to get to the point on it. So I want to talk a little bit about you,

because this man sitting next to me is smoking really, it's probably millions of people by this point, right? All over the place. And so, how does a guy who drops out of high school, right? You drop that high school, right? A guy that grew up, took a little bit of how you grew up, tell me, tell them about that a little bit,

and then how did you step into this space where you're this person of such a big influence? Yeah, you know what, man, I was talking yesterday for an event, and I was just asking people, like, when you get in the car, what's the first thing you look for? Like, I got a GED, so I'm trying to get deep, you know what I'm saying?

Like, what's the first thing, and they say, well, you look to see how much gases in the car, you know, and so for me Like what's the first thing? And they say well you look to see how much gasses in the car, you know. And so for me that's what it's all about fuel. And I didn't have a lot of it at 15, 16 because, you know, found out my mother lied. The person that was raising me wasn't my real father. I was actually raised by my real father didn't know we was. So I was with my grandma, my aunts, my uncles,

you know I was with his family, all my cousins, but they just say he was a friend of the family. So my mom was sweet with it, much respect for my, my mom's sweet, my mom's realizing a young age, she got pregnant with me at 17, had me at 18, and she was just like, you know, he's not the best influence for you, you know? So she's like, we just gonna cut him off completely.

You know what I'm saying? He did, completely. So I don't know how she pulled it off, but like I would be around him, around my family. And it was always like this guy was a friend of the family. How old were you, you found this out? Probably about 13 when I confronted my mom about it, about 13.

So just home this four-while, sleeping in the band and building, eating out of trash cans. Did you really? Yeah, eventually dropped out of high school. It's like, yeah, I was going to high school every day, but after a point, my boy is just like, what are you going for? Like, you know, it's like, you were literally homeless, get up from wherever

this homeless place was and went to high school. And you're like, why am I doing this? Yeah, but I like school just because I'm in a safe place. You know, you got breakfast, you got lunch. You know, I'm saying you have to worry about, you know, certain things happen when you're in school. Your friends, the social life was great. You know, but my boys, you have to worry about, you know, certain things happen when you were in school, your friends, the social life was great. You know, but my boys, and I'm not proud of it,

but at that time, you know, guys were, you know, selling drugs and whatever, and they were just like, yo, we are here making this money, and you go to school for what? Like, what do you go, like you're not doing anything, you're not going to Harvard, you're not going to Yale, you're not even going to community college, but you're great, so you just need to,

just quit and let it go. You know, so eventually I dropped out and I started going to the church and I'm not a religious person like we didn't grow up in church, you know, I didn't grow up praying to that, but I went to church just because again it was a safe environment. It was something. I think that was the first time I got turned on to inspiration. You know, you got this pastor and you know, all that stuff is positive. You got the choir, the praise team. It's a free meal after each.

There's no meals after church meals. And so just being in church with my best friend and the whole wide world, he ended up introducing me to D.D. at the time. And I think when I started dating D.D., that was the first time my life, it was like, yo, few. Wow. It was few. It was like, here's this girl that's saying like you I got dreams

and goals really you know she was the one with the dreams and goals always always went to school. They were she's for the goody to choose with the school deal she's supposed to she's only child it was just her and her mom you know she's very focused and she was kind of like yo, I like you I'd like to have a future with you, but if we're going to have a future gather like I can't I can't have a future with you, but if we're gonna have a future together, I can't date a high school dropout.

I can't be with somebody, so she decided she got accepted in the college, I'm going to college, if you don't get your GED and follow me, it's a wrap. So imagine, man, we are 16, 17, sitting on a curve. I'm homeless, high school dropout. Imagine being with this young lady and your dreamy. And she's talking about, when we get older, we're gonna have kids, we're gonna live in this house.

You're gonna be a nurse, you gonna whatever. And so for me, that was the first time in my life that it was like, yo, it was gonna feel like, yo, I could be something, I could do something. So, you know, for me, that was, and it was like, yo, your dad is a high school dropout, your grandfather was, and they know disrespect, because my father and I have a relationship now.

So I don't, you know, I'm saying no disrespect to him, but he dropped out. He had kids by different, you know, my grandfather didn't finish. He had, and I just was like, oh, I want to win, bro. Well, I want to win. I want to win this woman who believes in you, sees this greatness in you. As a little girl still really though, right? That's, that's, that's been, that's been, really. That's probably more than enough, that, that. I doubt that, not after being a rat.

Oh, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. She's seeing it now. But, you, how do you, I'm just curious, I want to understand the story from me. So, you dropped out, she's going away to college. How do you want to graduate from Michigan State then? Like, that's not a little school, right? So, you know, for me, what happens, one,

you know, and I want people to understand this, dream big, but get small wins, though. people to understand this. Dream big, but get small wins, though. And I'm saying dream big, but get the small wins. And those small never forget here in John L. Way, speak once. You know, John L. Way was like, you know, I became great by being good over a long period of time. You know, and so for me, it was, all right, did he's leaving? She's going to college. If I can get my GED. That's all I need to focus on right now is let me get the GED. And here's the thing, I never realized by having a girlfriend, it was like I'm not dating anybody that's selling dope.

I'm not dating anybody that's violent. You know, I'm not dating nobody that's carrying a gun. So for me, so for me, it was like, I didn't even know about being where her, it stopped me from doing some of the stuff that had I not had a purpose. I probably would have been doing what my boys were doing because I was with them. I just wasn't doing what they were doing.

So the GD was the first one, then I ended up following her going to college. Now, our first college was Oak, we went to a very small school in Alabama. But then after I finished that, and I was speaking at the time, and so now universities are like, universities, Cincinnati saw me, university, Louisville, Michigan State.

So Michigan State can't say, hey, all these guys like you, but we want to cord you. Like, we want you to come get a degree and eventually work for the university. So I'm thinking high school dropout, you know, I got a four-year degree, I go to Michigan State, like, I can make my mama proud again. I'm from Detroit.

So it's U of M or it's Michigan State. And so I'm like, yo, I go to Michigan State, like I can make my mama proud to get them from Detroit. So it's you of them, or it's Michigan State. And so I'm like, yo, I can reverse this thing. My little sister went to you of them. So if I go to you, Michigan State, my mom, that's like house money. You know what I'm saying? That's like, mom could be proud of me again. Because you know, of course, leaving home,

we get into it, you know, it's a point where my mom was kind of discouraged. Like, I didn't raise you like this. You know, so to go to Michigan State, get a master's degree, it's like, yo, I can make mama proud. And I didn't raise you like this. You know, so to go to Michigan State, get a master's degree. It's like, yo, I can make mama proud. And then when she came to the graduation, I was like, I'm like, hey, I'm not gonna get the PhD.

Let's just finish it up, bring her back one more time. And some of the pain that I caused there, I'm sure another degree is only gonna make her that. So I just say, man, start with the small wins. Well, you have your PhD. Yeah, yeah, yeah, those are some big wins. I don't know, you know, I don't do the, I don't talk about that and do that.

But when I'm in school, I use that in educational environment because it kind of helps me, you know, leverage my platform. So I'm curious, obviously watching you right now, there's an anointing, a giftedness with the way you speak and communicate. That's good. Yeah, and you're good and you've worked on that gift too. One of the things I love that you talk about, talk about this is for a second, they might ask you about your speaking, but gifts like D.D. Yeah, and you're good and you've worked on that gift too. One of the things I love that you talk about, I talk about this for a second, I might ask

you about your speaking, but gifts like Deity, right, or like other gifts in your life. Don't always show up as you say in the packages you expect them to, right? Or perfectly gift rep. Some of the biggest gifts I've had in my life did not show up the way I expected them to, right? Speak about that a little bit in people's lives. Yeah, I think for real man, most of them, you know, and you gotta be humble, you know, and I think too many of us who've been blessed like we've been blessed, people watch us

and don't see the humility. Like they would prefer to see, you know, the confidence in us, you know, the passion, and overlook like the humility, but when you're humble, that's how you see things that other people don't see. Like when you're humble, you see, you're out of running water. You know what I'm saying?

I've been to other countries where they don't have running water. You know, we all have a roof, this is a different type of roof. You know what I'm saying? But you can look at this every day and see the water and just go like, you know, it's a gift because how many people

have tried to do the exact same thing you tried to do in the exact same way you tried to do it and it didn't end up like this. So I wake up every day like, you know, you've been married to somebody. You've been married almost 28 years. Like somebody took a chance on you, you know what I'm saying? And I'm being real like her mom was like, don't do it. Her father was like, don't do it.

Like what does he have? He didn't have anything. That's a gift when somebody loves you when you don't have absolutely anything. And then now it's a gift when somebody loves you, when you don't have absolutely anything, and then now it's a gift to be with somebody who's not with me because I'm an E.T.D. if I preach it, but really has been with me like, in the good, the bad, the ugly, so I know,

this is my right of that. So I think gifts are all around us, but some people aren't humble enough to say, yeah, I did work for this one, but this one, let's just be honest yeah, I did work for this one. But this one, let's just be honest. Yeah. I didn't work for this one.

Yeah. This was a gift from God. This was giving to me. Yeah. And I got to be humble and be grateful for it. I can tell you how similar you and I are because I know you haven't seen this. But like, it's been a running water and being having humility, right?

Because when people see outwardly confident people, they can mistake that. I think sometimes dudes like you and I that have this outward confidence, because we've had to work on ourselves so damn much too, right? Like I was not born super confident, right? Not enough things in my life, but when I was early on in business,

when Chris and I were first married, I got my power turned off, car repot, all that stuff that can happen to you. I went backwards first, but the worst thing that happened was my water got turned off. So you can have power turned off, phone turned off, you can survive. You get no water. Let me tell you, you can't bathe, you can't cook, and we would have to get up in the mornings.

I'm the newlywed, we'd have to get up in our apartment. I'd walk my new bride down the stairs. We would take a shower at the pool, and just, like I'd stand in front of there because there was no curtain. It's freezing cold so that we could shower in the morning. And then we would get up, right? And I'd have to go out to work that day and pretend like some successful dude.

But the point I'm, is like, the ocean here? Clearly, I go, that's a gift. But there are a lot of mornings, not every morning. I'm not gonna lie to you. But a lot of mornings, honestly, the gift is, I pull that shower faucet and water comes out of it. I'm serious. I go, man, thank you, Lord, right?

Because you didn't have it. God. Now you're able to reflect. 100%. I just want to emphasize how awesome that point is because I've lived that, and I still live it. Even before we're on camera, you and I are talking about our speaking and we're critical of ourselves. We're trying to get better all the time.

Fight for that little bit of a difference. When did you know you had this? Because I look at someone like you, there's a gift there, okay? The Lord's soaring into you, the gift of speaking, of communicating, and I don't even think it's that. I think it's the gift of transferring of energy, transferring of spirit, of information of people.

You're gifted at that, but you got great at it by refining that gift. When did you know, hey, this is something different about me. I can really speak here, this is something unique. Freshman here in college, don't laugh. All right, freshman year in college, me and my boy star, like this, like Christian, like organization, so every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, we'd speak, now they didn't let me speak initially,

because I was a high school dropout, rough around the edges, like I wasn't really polished, right? And so, but here's a good thing is, you know, you stay home with some gift. So we did it every Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. So at some point, the guys couldn't make the appointment. So I was like always the host of the show. So when they didn't show up, they like,

well, we bring in so and so to speak, I'm like, no, no, you not. I'm hosting. So this is my shot right here. It's the best availability is availability, right? Everyone there, trade one there. I'm like finally, three, four months into it. I'm like, I'm, no, I'm in because they've not there.

So I'm in. Like, don't put me in, I'm in. You know, and my first message was, tempering ain't easy, but somebody's got to do it. That was my first message. That's church meeting. Yeah, it's a church meeting. Pamping ain't easy, but somebody's got to do it. That was my first message. That's church meeting. Yeah, it's a church meeting. Pimpin' that easy, but somebody's got to do it.

That's what I said, no laugh. But this is how I knew I had something because people were like, yo, nobody's ever, and so I talked about how the devil's trying to pimp us. Okay. And you know, and I just took that whole angle, and my second message just blew up was how many licks does it take

to get to the center of Osaka? You know, and so everybody was just like, yo, bro, this is different. Like, this is not a normal preacher, it's not a normal delivery. The energy is kind of different. So while adults weren't really fooling with me, a lot of guys who were like, yo,

we don't need to do that church stuff. Like, we don't do that kind of stuff. We not into that. And what was unique about, and I'm glad you asked, nobody's ever asked me this. What was unique is that we did it at the Bell Tower, which was in the center of the campus. So you had to pass it to go anywhere.

So it's cash like, yo, I wasn't coming to know spiritually, but I would hear that loud voice and that passion, and I heard, Pimpin, Pimpin, or Pimpin, are you talking about Pimpin' in church? You know, so they would just walk over like, yo, when is he talking about Pimpin' ain't easy? And it was at that point when I saw non-church,

regular people, genes, t-shirts coming by, and when I would speak, stop. I was like, yo, e, you got something. Yeah, you got something. Yeah, you got something. You knew it then. And if ever since then, you've been using that. I've been working.

Yeah, I feel like, I feel like all people ask me all the time, like, about speaking to I want you to talk about this from it. I think great communicators move energy somehow, right? But you can't, when I listen to you speak even right now, like, you can't give me that, which you're not experiencing yourself, right? So people ask me all the time if I have you on the show and I don't at least ask you this one thing because we're going to know this someone said hey I

want to communicate I want to speak better not like you I you know you are you. What would you tell them about communicate even just like one on one or in a group of people what's the key thing for you when you communicate with people can't you can't communicate with a person when you don't know. You know I communicate with a person when you don't know them. You know? And I think what people do wrong when they speak, is they want to come and give you what they want.

Like they study something, they're like experience, they just want to come and give you that. You know, and I don't know about you, but some of the best restaurants have been where I've been able to go in order. Like, you know, when my money changed a little bit, I was able to start going to restaurants and say like, yo, I don't want that.

You know what I'm saying? This is what I want. Well, the Jasmine Rice comes with them. I'm like, no, no, no, restaurants and say, like, yo, I don't want that. You know what I said? This is what I want. Well, the Jasmine Rice comes with them. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I don't want Jasmine, right? Like this is what I want. You know? And so for me, it's like when you get around people and you spend enough time with people to see what people want, and then you give them what they need, to me,

that's what it's all about. You know, so it's like, we got to get out of this. This is what I want to talk about, or it's like we got to get out of this this what I want to talk about Or this is what I want to say or this is how I want to like no my idols mother Theresa like I used to watch her movement right and she was the lowest of a Peking order when you talk about preach when an archbishop she wasn't a pope She was a nun but yet you know who she is and I would watch her and she would see okay okay, hear the needs of the people. When I watched my sister, King, this dude could have easily been like a millionaire living in a, he moved with the people and said, hey, I'm gonna give up my life and what I wanna do to help.

So for me, it's like, you can't affect a person if you don't know what they want. So you gotta spend enough time with people, just chilling with people, hanging out with people. That's why I was geek, it's not a studio. I'm like, oh, where is crib? It's gonna be phenomenal. Just because the ethos, we're in your house.

That's where you live. Like it's energy already in the space. And spirits, already in the place. So for me, it's like you got to get to know the people, spend time with the people. And then once you find out what they need, you like a cow, you chew it up, chew it up, chew it up, chew it up, you study it, you study it,

and then when you get to them, you give them what they need. And of course they're gonna be excited, it's cause what they need. I love that. So speaking of getting to know people, tell me about you, what's your day like now? What's the day in the life? What's your world like now?

What's not fair? What's the day that's about you? Yeah, so I should probably tell them about 10 years, but it's not fair now. Hey, we know, but people know, like, you talk about, look, I was homeless. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm saying, with my life now, if you look at this,

like, it's not fair, did he retire back in March of last year? And so now, our day is just our day, man. You know, our day is just, man, I'm free, man. It's a great feeling. I do want to say this to those of you who are watching, who are not yet where you want to be. Like keep going. Like keep going.

Don't quit. You're already in pain. You're already struggling. Like get something for your pain. It doesn't make sense to go through pain and then not getting that on the other side of it. So since you're already struggling, you're already going through it.

Get on the other side. So what does my day look like? Like, yo, Dee and I got up at three o'clock. You know, she called the prayer line. You know, I have my own little prayer line I call. We breakfast or a little smaller breakfast just sitting there talking to each other. We're having worship with each other just talking about the goodness. We can't believe we're here. We went from Detroit to the world.

We're going to the movies later on the day, going out to eat, driving around. So it's not fair to talk about my day now. But my day now is, I promise to you, I're going to the movies later on the day, going out to eat, driving around. So it's not fair to talk about my day now. But my day now is, I promised her when we were younger, because she worked first and supported my dream. And I told her, one day, we're going to flip it.

You know, and I'm, you're going to stop working. And I'm going to spoil you and take care of you. So I'm like, at a point in my life now where I'm getting to make good on my promise. You know, and we're debt-free right now, man. And just traveling the world, man. Oh, no, man, nothing. And we're able to help kids go to college.

We got a church we're building right now. My son just graduated. My daughter's a sophomore. So we just enjoying each other. And it's a great feeling, man. Face change. I love seeing somebody being their authentic self, like living their real destiny. Like, it's one, you know, your faith makes you happy, right?

Material things don't really make you happy. One of the things that really, I find happy people is they're kind of living their life on their destiny. They're on the tractor. The other thing too that makes us happy in life is like, the Lord gave you certain gifts, whether it's your discernment, your brain, your articulation, how you nurture people, these gifts were all uniquely given.

Happy people spend a lot of their life using those gifts. The reason you're so happy is you're in a state of using your giftedness. You could have math, use those gifts, right? If you're a great athlete, use those gifts, right? A great thinker, great person to faith, like use your giftedness, it'll make you happy. It was sewn into you for a reason.

It opened up rooms for you. Love this thing you talk about though, so we're both free now, but you talk a lot about how important routine is to getting you to freedom, right? So speak to routine a little bit because we both agree about this, you say it in a more powerful way than I do,

but for someone listening to this, talk about routine, because if you want, everyone wants to be free, one of the challenges, they act free before they are. You know what I mean? Like, there's a certain amount of disciplines in routine and habits and rituals you've got to have that could get you free at one point. Talk about that first, sir.

Yeah, I'm gonna say honestly, man, you know, I came to the realization one day, and again, love my biological father, you know, much respect, much respect for the person that raised me. But I realized at some point when I looked at my family's history, I was like some things I don't want. And some things I want, but there's some things I don't want. And then I remember having to say one of them myself, like, yo, you are your father's child.

Like, yo, even though you didn't, he didn't raise you, even though in the beginning you guys had, you know, whatever little stuff y'all need to get through, eat, don't lie, you are lazy at times. You know what I'm saying? Like, eat, you are super social, and you'd rather talk than work. You know what I'm saying? I just had to grow up with that, just be real myself

and just say, eat, the only way you're gonna be successful is you gotta discipline yourself. You know, when you look at a horse, I'm talking about a thoroughbred, it still needs that, what is that thing called that they put on it? He needs that, without, you know, you can't, you gotta control them. You know, you got a lot of Jews, got a lot of, he can go for it, but you gotta, you gotta hone that. And so I realized like, yo, you sleep in, you play video game,

don't lie to yourself. You are powerful, but you have some vices. And you have some vices that take you down to crazy road. Like you are your father, you are your grandfather, you are your mother, you are your grandmother. Like it's real. And so I started saying, okay, eat, you got to discipline yourself.

And it's for me, it's the same for everybody. I started getting up at three o'clock in the morning. Like, yo, you gonna have to get up a little bit earlier because you didn't finish school. You didn't take care discipline your son. That's for me, that's for everybody. I start getting up at three o'clock in the morning. It's like, yo, you're gonna have to get up a little bit earlier because you didn't finish school. You didn't take care of your business. So you can't get up at the same time, another man who gets up, who handled his business. So you need to get up at three.

If you're gonna catch the grapes, you gotta get up at three. You gotta go to bed earlier. This is why I said, I never drank or smoked because the men in my life who did it were extremists had an uncle who died so Rocha's a deliverer. You know, I had other uncles who drank and my father blessed his heart, but he was strong out on drugs

for about 14 years. And I was just like, yo, E, you can see that they don't know how to do it casually. Like, ain't social drinkers, like, ain't social on something. They taking it to a home of the level. And so for me, it was like, E, you got discipline yourself.

You're not gonna die if you never know where alcohol tastes like, but if you taste it, you might have the same experience they have. So you just got discipline yourself. You know, I do vegan most of the time. You know what I'm saying? And I tell people, I love fried chicken. I love macaroni and cheese.

I love a lot of desserts, but in my family is diabetes. So it's like, yo, if you do what they do, then you're gonna get the results they got. So yeah, chicken is good. And back running cheese, where my grandma making is great. And yes, the pound cake is phenomenal. But if you wanna be with Diti for the next 30, 40 years,

you wanna be able to walk, you know, I'm saying you don't wanna be on the cruise, I'm just on the cruise, and there were a couple people you know, was on the motor scooter. I'm saying people with the can and the walkers. And I'm not mad at them. But I'm like, I don't want that. I want to be able to walk at 60, at 70.

I want to be independent at 80 if I can be. So I'm going to have to make some sacrifices now for the long run. I would drink pop every day if I could. Is everybody hearing this though? Like, I mean, this and all of us, the one to win. Like, do you already said, like, I gotta get up at three o'clock and if I'm gonna catch the greats,

because I started with some deficiency. Successful people are very self-aware. Like, they don't BS themselves, right? Like, I have laziness too. I love laying around. I love sleep. Right, no, but before, I wouldn't have got to sleep here if I was just me.

I had to get these rituals and habits and disciplines. And people think sometimes they listen to me and they're so intentional. Like, these do-studes are freaks. I'm not a freak. But you know what I said? Because it makes it easier for them to say, I can't do it if they freaks.

Then I can't do it. That's their out. You're exactly right. And I'm not gonna give you that out, neither are you. Like, I'm lazy. I gotta get up early. I gotta get up because if I don't get up by like, I get up at 4.35, but if I don't get up by then,

I will be in bed at 8 o'clock. I have to get up, I have to move my body, so I'm with you 100%. If I said you obsession, what's that mean to you? It means wanting to succeed as bad as I wanna breathe. I'm saying it's like, whatever it is, I say I want it, I want it like air. You know, air is one of those things that,

you know, because people always say, well, why you say of those things that, you know, because people are gonna say, why you say air? Why you say, because you go without that for a few seconds, my friend, it's a wrap. It's done. So there are people who want stuff, but you kinda want it.

Or you want it bad, but you don't want it as bad as you want to breathe. So to me, obsession is wanting something so bad that, you know, I go to bed, when I wake up to it, I make whatever sacrifice I grind. Like, it's like, I can't live without it. And so there are people who fantasize,

romanticize about stuff, but like, they're not obsessed with it. And when you are obsessed with it, y'all, Diddy's not working now, because I was obsessed with, I got her, she had to end up getting a chronic illness. I'm like, yo, this is not gonna define us, did he have MS? But you can't tell because we changed the diet, she's not working, we living, you know, in peace.

So I said to myself, like, yo, I can't, and look, my wife told me, you talk too much, but I just say this, there are people who also had MS, but their spouses didn't put them in a position to retire. Yes. And so they're not doing as well because they still got to get up and do 40, 50 hours.

So for me, I was obsessed with, no, you're not going to go to work for somebody that's going to stress you out. And the only thing we know about your disease is that stress, we know that it's stress related. So we're going to, all the stress, I tell my kids, don't call your mama with that. You got a problem, you call me. So I'm going to obsess with making sure of DD's healthy. So when they say fried chicken or the salmon,

I'm like, I don't really like salmon like that, but salmon or the vegan burger. All right, give me the vegan burger. You know, that's not what I want to eat, but I'm obsessed with DD's health. I'm obsessed with our marriage. I'm obsessed with the love. I'm obsessed with her.

So I'll do whatever it takes. That's what obsession means to me. Not saying it or dream it or effect, but I'll do whatever it takes to make that dream become a reality. I told you what this is gonna be. I told you guys, right? So the thing opens it.

This is it. This is on and multiples of it. So your obsession becomes your possession for sure, right? And one of the things that I see in you, obviously I see this intensity level, but like, that's the other people can be saying, well, they're just super intense, that's why they won't. Well, that is part of it, right?

Like I think you can will some stuff to happen in your life. But you give like practical stuff if people are listening, right? And so one of the things you and I are both freaks about, but I want you to teach this just for a second is write stuff down, right? Like it's one thing to just say something but you forget stuff right and part of being obsessed has to do with writing stuff down speak to that for a second let me tell you something man I don't know what happens you know but when I dream something

it's got a little juice to it it does like like it's got a level of energy to it's let's just say on the scale 110 10 being the highest when I'm dreaming. I'm like seven, you know, I'm at a seven. I wake up sometimes, I might forget it. You know what I'm saying? I'm talking to my homie. It's got an eight, eight and a half. But when I write it down, it's like I'm making a, it's like I'm making a commitment to myself now.

It's the weirdest thing. When I start writing, it's like, the next level ET comes out and looks at this ET and say, yo bro, this is it. We writing it down now. Like it's a commitment. Like it's sealed. When you was talking before, it wasn't no need for me to come out.

But not that you wrote it down. Like you are making a promise to ET, like the powerful ET. You know, that, you know. So then when I, this is the new thing I started doing last year, I take a picture of what I wrote down and send it to my accountability partner. So now my accountability partner is like, yo, E, I know you wrote it down, I know you're pretty strong,

but where are you today with it? So one of my accountability partner, yesterday was like, yo, E, you did exactly what you said, exactly how you said it, but you didn't there afternoon. You told me he was gonna do it in the morning. And I'm like, yo, I got it done. it but you did in the afternoon. You told me he was going to do it in the morning. And I'm like, yo, I got it done. It like you did a great job. You told me he was going to do it in the morning.

You did in the afternoon. So I'm going to give you a 9.2 because you did it. But when you wrote it down and sent it to me, you said the morning. So to me, that's that next level of practicality is not only writing it down. Boom, taking a picture of it and then sending it to the people that's that next level of practicality. It's not only writing it down. Boom, taking a picture of it, and then sending it to the people that you love the most. This because, you know, blows my mind is that, and I say this with love to people too,

but like, people don't do this even after we say it. It's like, hey, listen, do these things. These things actually matter. They're not incidental. We're not telling you these things but out of our own health. We're telling you because this is what builds wealth, right? And so one thing I've noticed about you, this is your talk. And so I just want to make mention of this to you

because it made me think of something I've heard you say before. So good. You have big ass reasons for everything you do. Like, and this one person keeps running theme through everything. D.D. keeps running through this, right? Like, but you have these big reasons. To me, you write stuff down. You get obsessed, but what drives you through, your habits, all that stuff. But then you can have some big old reasons. And like what you said, oxygen, you got to want it like air, right? But I love this analogy you have.

I've never heard before. Some people have heard this, but I want you to speak to this because big old reasons. You don't have the difference between a gazelle and a lion. it's their reasons their purpose right speak to that for a second. And the reason why I'm so big on that is because as I've been you know speaking for over 20 years I study people and I'm like oh my man graduated Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude why is he broke right I'm just like it's I'm just I'm comfortable if I was that smart right it would seem like I would just own half the world But what I realized is it doesn't make a difference if you're smart born in a wealthy family born broke

I realized what makes people different is the energy level that they have and the energy level is because of what's driving them You feel me so if you got a forward focus. That's a baby engine That's it's just it's not wrong with a for it's just a baby engine. It's just, it's not wrong with a forward, it's just a baby engine. And when I was coming around here, I could tell it's not gonna make it, you know, in all these neighborhoods right here. You know what I'm saying?

But when you look at a F-150, that engine is, it can pull a lot, you can put bricks in there, you can construction, you can, if you are self-snowboard, whatever you wanna do, you can put a vehicle on that sucker and drive it because of the engine. And so what I try to explain to people, it's like, yo, you want to do, you can put a vehicle on that sucker and drive it because of the engine. And so what I try to explain to people is like, yo, you got to understand that if you got these big old dreams with these little small engines, you got these big old dreams

with double-A batteries, bro. Big old engines, I mean, big old dreams with a D battery. You can't power nothing with that. So when I say, D-D, that's like, that's a big end, that's V12. That's like gonna give me up. So you got 87 octane, you got 89, you got 93. It's all gas, but it's different. And so when I say a gazelle, like a gazelle is only driven by,

I don't wanna get caught. You know what I'm saying? I just don't wanna get caught. So when you're running because you don't want to get caught versus you chasing because you got to feed your fan, you got cubs, it's just a different. So after running for so long, first of all, I didn't even have no plans on running.

So that's number one, like I didn't have no plans on running. So now you got me running when I didn't have no plans on running, so guess what? After so long to run it, and you still behind me, I'm about to give up because I didn't have no plans on running. So guess what? After so long to run it, and you still behind me, I'm about to give up, because I didn't have no plans on running. So now it's like I'm running, running, running, running.

I'm looking at you and you still behind me. And I'm just like, you know what? Since I'm not running toward, not in any way, I just get weak and give up. But if I'm running towards you and saying, my wife got to eat, my son got to eat, my daughter got to eat, and they not to eat. My daughter got to eat. And they not gonna make it if I don't come back with something.

Then I'm not gonna stop until I get that thing. So that's why I'm saying like, yo, what's pushing you? What's driving you? And if the right stuff ain't dry. Look, you can't come back to Diti and say, yo, D, I'm sorry, I ain't catching up today. You can't say that to Diti. Diti don't wanna hear it.

Diti, like, all right, go back out and get it. Don't come back until you get it. And because I want to be with her, I'm like, because they're just a matter of, yeah, you go, like, look, I don't need to be strong. I'm just gonna keep running. And you gonna stop sooner or later. And I'm not gonna stop.

And I'm gonna eat you, take you back to the crib. I'm, we're going in such a huge thing because we're gonna go, well, never quit. And you just explain why you never quit, right? Like, because you've heard someone say, I'm in the hunt. That's the definition of being in the hunt. And people struggle sometimes. I mean, I just love you. Likewise, I'm feeling this. I feel this. One people say to me all the time, well, I don't know what my reason is. I'm going to give you a little secret. He's giving it to you. Almost always your, your reason is other people. Almost always your reason is faith or other people. Those are always the big

east. It's not stuff. Right. It's not stuff. By the way, stuff is great. You should you should get stuff to get stuff. There's stuff. Get some. Right. I've been happy. Poor and I've been happy rich. Happy rich is way better than happy poor. Yeah. I promise you. Yeah. And you know what guys, this is so big because, you know, Didian and I, man, we love our home. We brought our home before I blew up. And this is why you need to be hanging with your head.

Right? It's why you need to be in your head. Because Didian and I were just talking, I was like, yo, we love our home. We love our whatever. You know what I'm saying? Great church family. We love everybody.

Michigan, you know, whatever. Just want to get out when it's cold. But then I came here today. I came here to, and let's tell you, y'all got to understand something. This is not the first time I've been in a house. Like, you got to understand, it's not my first time. Like, yo, I walked through this,

and it wasn't a museum. Like, I've been to houses before. It's like, oh, it's a museum. I'm good on that. Come to like a friend, I'm good on that. I'm like, I'm good on showing people how much money I got, I'm good on that. I'm like, I'm good on showing people how much money I got, I'm good on that. When I walked in here and especially when I was like, yo, this is like, yo, I could do this.

And you know what I'm saying? I'm like, and that maybe I can't, I don't know yet. You know what I'm saying? We'll talk later, you know what I'm saying? But no, for real, I'm just sitting here like, yo, bro. So this is why this is important. And this is probably why I don't do podcast a lot because I'm not really interested in just,

you know, being on somebody's show. But I feel like you said, like, there's a reason why I'm here today. And I'm about to go, like, yo, I'm about to go to another level myself. You understand what I'm saying? Like, I'm about to leave and say, like, yo, E, like, yeah, you doing this, you doing that,

you doing that, but like, E, like, it's a nut for you and DD, y'all gotta chase something together now. Because before, you was chasing for D. Not a D retired, now you and that, but like E, like it's enough for you and D.D. y'all got to chase something together now. Because before you was chasing for D, not a D retired, now you would D need to link, and they need to see, yeah, thanks man. Yeah, that's a tough one. Honest to God, I'm not kidding you. I prayed about us meeting today. I'm not kidding you.

Man, this makes me homes emotional. I literally prayed that you would tell me today that something happened today where you wanted to go to a new level and you got clear that I swear to you on anything important to me. That was my hope for today. That was your prayer was answered. So amazing. I'm telling you, we don't do this.

I was speaking in Irvine and I called and I said, did you, you cool? Because it's her time now. I'm like, you cool with? She like, yeah, let's roll. And I'm coming. Like Norman should be like, drop me off at the coastal mall and let me walk around and I'm coming like Norma should be like to drop me off at the right. So coastal mall and let me walk around and I catch up with y'all when I catch up. Yeah.

And then you even saw it. She was in the car. She like I'm good. You go in. Do you think I meet you when you come back out. She came in and then God just wanted us to see that. Awesome. Yeah.

We need I've been not together. They go see us now chasing them together now. And the reason is because once you pick that next thing, you'll go good. And the reason is is that you're what I would call like a dominator. Like I think you know how to, you can dominate a room. You dominate anything you want, right? But, dude, that's for, I can already tell you for a fact

that's never going to happen. Like you know about energy, forget it. I'm already telling you right now, I can tell. I 100%. But talk to these, we don't have that much time. Like this is literally flying by, isn't it, right? I'm not energy. Forget it. I'm already tell you right now. I can tell. 100%. But talk to these, we don't have that much time. This is literally flying by, isn't it? But talk to them a little bit about.

So there's the group that wants to get their dreams going. You give them great advice. Then there's the group here's like, hey, I have some stuff going. And I want to go to that 1%. I want to get there. I want to do. I think people sometimes give themselves a break. Like, I just want to win. Why don't you just want to dominate there. I want to do. I think people sometimes give themselves a break. Like, I just want to win.

Why don't you just want to dominate? Just take over, right? So talk about that a little bit. Like the power of just dominating. Yeah, so for those of you who can't get to that level, one of the things I think is the bigger problem is that you have begun to compare yourself to the people that surround you. And like, you killing your brother.

I mean, you killing your brother. I mean, you killing your brother, whatever your little expectations work. You know what I mean, you dominate your little sister. You know, the people that you went to high school with the people in your neighborhood, you killing them. And so what happens is subconsciously, you don't get it. But because you're better than everybody that you around,

there's something in you that's like, yo, chill out. You don't, you don't, you that one. You don't need to. So even though you're saying you wanna go to that next level, everything around you was saying you made it. You've arrived. That's why you gotta come to the air show. That's why you gotta come to a place

that you haven't been before to go, yo, it's more, it's more. And you start getting around people that you not, you not, and we not gonna use the term better because we're all strong in our certain areas, right? But you do get around certain people and you see like, oh, I could turn it up. And not only turn it up, you know, the cool thing about this show before we started people don't, you know, they don't know what we talked about. But you said to me like, L.E., how can I help, like, where you need to go to the next level, right?

I'm just being honest, you know, less gave me a figure, like, less, like, you need to go to the next level, right? I'm just being honest, you know, let's gave me a figure, like let's, like you need to charge this. So I spent a couple of years like, oh, let's, if that's what you getting, if that's what the big boy is getting, let's go for it. And I got there. And I was like, okay, I'm making that.

So I commanded to get, I probably do about three or four gigs now. I got to, whatever. But as I was talking to you, and you were talking about, all right, I'm gonna do this event, 50,000 people here, I'm gonna do this, and then even do this, and we do that. I was like, yo, ee, maybe you didn't need to do the four and take off for a year.

You and DD get close, but now it might be time e to set another goal, because I'm reached, like I said, me and DD were 16. So you can only imagine the goals that we set at 16. I mean, they were okay, but they weren't like what we can set now. And so I'm thinking, man, did you need to have a sit down and say, you know what, you right, we did do everything we said we was gonna do.

But it's there more to do. And when I say more, I'm not talking about the Nobel Prize. I already said that. I'm not talking about saving kids. I do that every day. That's no what I'm talking about. I'm talking about me and you setting goals for us where we can relax and we can go next level.

You know what I'm saying? And by the way, it's reciprocal because like you do this for me and I'm gonna tell you, first watching you did it but now knowing you is totally different because I pride myself on trying to get better and be able to serve people, about being able to help them, being able to communicate my message, bringing energy.

Now I'm in your presence and I go, hold on a minute. There's a whole other level of being able to bring energy to people, bring value to be able to communicate. It's not that I'm comparing myself to you. I'm going, wait a minute, that's another level right there, right? This is something I need to get. And the other piece of it I think is like, I try to help people privately too. The main reason I invited ET on the show was some mutual friends of ours have told me

about all the work you do with people when there's no cameras around. When you go traveling to a city and you just show up at a school and speak to children, there's no camera, you're not being paid, you just want to help people because it's who you really, really are. So I just want to acknowledge that just so you all know about this man and his wife, this is a good man, right? This man does a whole bunch of stuff you will will never know about, that's good for other people. And so you're helping me do that too.

I just want you to know that. And let me put some flesh on it, because people are like, they're not used to hearing me say, stuff, but as I sat, as I, well, before we started, I said to myself, the energy that I have and going to these schools and what I'm able to do from 30 degrees in Michigan. You understand from snow and hail from only sun about four months out of the year.

So I need to understand what I'm saying. I'm saying is I look here, I'm like, yo, ee, if you were walking and talking with the Lord at three o'clock in the morning here. Right. Trust me. Not me to understand what I'm saying because because I want them thinking, you know, like I want them to get what I'm saying. I'm walking in three o'clock in the morning and like concrete.

If I was walking and talking with the Lord here, this is where Jesus was doing. This is where he was walking. He wasn't in concrete. This is where he was at. And he was water on a regular basis. If I was meditating here, if I was didd and I were drinking our smoothies and water here,

and then I go there, they're about to get a whole different energy. So for real, like when I'm sitting, I'm not on like, what, just stuff, I'm like, yo, this environment, if this is the environment that I was, it would just set myself up, and then I went to schools from this. It's a whole other, so I just wanna make sure they clear on, yeah. I did too, because you and I both share that message too. It's like neither one of us, or, I mean honestly,

I already know from knowing you, neither one's like, hey, I'd like a nicer this, like, but if it makes me better, if it puts me in a better state, if I've got more, I don't want you to call it, evidence, because I will tell you that, like, I mean, this really sincerely too, like I think that people that, all of us that are people of faith and we both share that kind of as a group of people, I think it's important that everybody knows this.

Like, listen, my opinion is that the Lord wants your children in safe schools too. The Lord would love your family to be able to afford a great education and to be in a secure place and for you to be able to be a better Tyler in your church and to make a difference where you are and to spread the good things in the world that you want to spread. So, there's nothing wrong with you being able to monetize that stuff. And there's a line that we all need to be careful of in our life where it's stuff and not stuff. You're not anywhere near that line.

I just want them to all know that. I'm not anywhere near that line either. But it is good to have increase in your life. The Lord wants increase in your life for you. He wants to bless you. He wants your family to be more successful. So just get a curiosity. First off, because I'm such a big believer of yours, I want my folks here to know where

to find you and to get help from you. One, you are absolutely out of your mind if you bring a speaker and that's not this guy. I can tell you that straight up. You want to move people. You want to change their state. Look at me right now, right? I sit here with a lot of people, right? Trust me, this man will change your state.

So how do they find you for your programs, for speaking, for social media, all that kind? I just say, ETinspires.com is all access, you know, because I don't really keep up with all the titles, so many handles. But ETinspires.com, that's pretty much where you can go to book me, to get all the, the tight, so many handles. But ETinspires.com, that's pretty much where you can go to book me to get all the free videos, go through our programs, whatever. So Mike, you can put that at the bottom of the screen here, right?

So we're gonna put that on the screen when they watch this thing. Let me ask you this last, what do you wanna do the next five or 10 years of your life? I know it's not have more stuff for sure, but like what are some of the things like you said, hey, you're 30, you're 47, we're the same age, I'll be 47 next month. So when I find you at 60, let's say,

I give you a decade plus a couple, what do you want to accomplish? What are some of the things you'd like to have done in your life? So when I look at some of the people that I look up to, what they did not do that, I felt Jesus's a leader did, they didn't duplicate themselves. You know, and I made it out of some, you know, challenging circumstances. But what I want to be able to do is teach other people how to really do that.

You know, so over the next couple years, I just started the Breed University, and I legitimately want to help entrepreneurs who don't really have a network. You know, who don't know anybody. network, you know, who don't know anybody. Parents, you know, for whatever reason, didn't make some decisions or Clinton, and they couldn't set them up for that. Like, I want to disciple, you know, I just want to really help, you know,

hundreds of people literally become great at whatever. I want to help fathers, like, you know, you can do this. You can travel the world and be a good father and be a good husband. Like, don't believe the hype. You can balance. Like, it's possible, you could do this. You can travel the world and be a good father and be a good husband. Like, don't believe the hype. You can balance. Like, it's possible.

You know, I want to teach them, you know, how to build stuff. Like, for me, it's schools, because that's where I fail. And I end up getting a PhD and I know how important. Not school, like, not degrees, but you meet people there. Your mind can change there. You can do it from anywhere. But a lot of kids, like, that is the only gateway. They don't have other opportunities.

So the next few years, man, I just want to help, I just want to help people like the people who helped me. Yeah. And I want to say this, the people who helped me helped me and there was no strings attached. You know, they helped me and it wasn't ET sign here when you blow up. Right.

It was just pay for or kid, you know. And I find that there are a lot of people You know, they helped me and it wasn't ET sign here when you blow up. It was just pay it forward, kid. You know, and I find that there are a lot of people who are helping people, but there's so many strings attached. And I'm not saying it shouldn't be mutualism. Definitely should be mutual. No society can survive without mutualism. But this whole, if I do something for you, you know, you owe me your life.

You know those people that do something for you, you can never, like, you gonna owe them to the day you die. I don't, I just wanna be the person that helps a kid and he's like, why'd you do? Matter of fact, it was crazy. It's a small. We paid for a kid at Chipotle and I went the wrong way. I try to go one way and I didn't realize you couldn't get out that way.

And so I had to pass him and he grabbed me. You know, like I bought him a car or something. He's like, why'd you do that? I said, what car or something. He's like, why'd you do that? I said, what do you mean? He's like, why'd you do that? Why'd you buy my food? I'm like, bruh, it's food. It's an $8 burrito.

He's like, no, no, no, no, no. Give me your name and number. Please, I want to pay it forward. But I feel like we live in a world where so many people are so selfish. And America's about, we got here, it's about giving. It's not about just taking, right? And so I want to do so we got here, it's about giving. It's not about just taking, right? And so I want to do so much for people that it's not strange when somebody

pays for your meal or somebody puts you through college. Like it's not strange. It's like, yo, these people are blessed. Like you said, they have increase and they want to pay it forward. So that's what I want to do. And you know, you got the Vince Lombardi trophy for football. You got the NBA finals. I want the Nobel Prize, not because I want to do. And you know, you got the Vince Lombardi trophy for football. You got the NBA finals. I want the Nobel Prize, not because I want the prize. That's a big dance. But I want it because it represents you had to do a lot of good in the world to go to Norway.

I actually feel the truth in that you say. No question. I believe it. I know. I'm saying, people like, you said, no, no, no, no, bro, I'm serious. Like, I did my homework. Yeah. If you're going to reach thousands and thousands and thousands

of people and you do good to them, this is what mother to recent. This is what Gandhi got. This is what mother to King. This is what Desmond Tutu. This is what Nelson Mandela like. This is what they got. And so I'm not going to play basketball.

I'm not going everywhere in football. I'm not going to get in a Stanley Cup. You know what I'm saying? But for me, when my grandbabies come to my house, hopefully I'm alive and they look on the wall and say, wow, we got a Nobel Prize in our family, you know? If I could ever help you in any way with that, I'm here to help you.

I'd love to. I can tell you, always comes back to family with you. And you and Dee Dee both are just these wonderful, big, beautiful spirits. Like I could just feel that from you. One thing I just want to say about you, for everybody back to family with you. And you, indeed, both are just these wonderful, big, beautiful spirits. Like, I could just feel that from you. One thing I just want to say about you, if everybody that's listening to this too, I try to put people like,

ET in front of you, just not a lot of them in the world, right? You're, there's, it's a big word, but he's congruent. There's congruency. In other words, he walks the walk to put it simply, right? And I want to follow people who have already been on the journey. There's a lot of people in this space of like, advice, or let me tell you what to do lot of people in this space of like advice,

or let me tell you what to do, that have never done any of these things, right? And you've walked out of that, charged out of that situation you were in. So there's a track record of doing these things. And when you meet someone like that, they go, let me tell you how I did this. Let me tell you what I learned.

And they do it from like a humble space. Like, here's the mistakes I made. Let me save you some time and some pain, right? You're congruent. Like there's a power to that. That's why your energy so bananas crazy because it's real energy. It's not fake energy because of your experience, right?

So it's one of acknowledge that. Like honestly, you exceeded my expectations. I knew this would be good, but I don't know it would be this good. And I never met an interviewer. Louis Hals don't get mad at my dude, but this is, you know what I'm saying? Like, this energy is like, I'm like, you know, most of people I'm talking to, I got a, you know what I'm saying? Like, relax, E.O.

But you give me a shout. We're gonna do some things together. So, I know you love this today, right? So, do me a favor. First off, thank you so much, brothers. Like, really? I know it's been here. I'll give you a hug. I enjoyed this. So I know you love this today, right? So do me a favor. First off, thank you so much, brother. Like really, I give you hug. Give you. I enjoy this so much. Seriously. All right. Everybody listen. I bring you unbelievable people like this man here, and I know how you're feeling after you've seen this. There's not another man like this.

So just do me a favor. All this is free. We're just here to serve you. Make a difference. If you get a chance, if you're on iTunes, leave a review. If you're on YouTube, make a comment and subscribe and continue to follow both of us out there. We're both being some great value to you. If you get a chance, if you're on iTunes, leave a review. If you're on YouTube, make a comment and subscribe. And continue to follow both of us out there with both being some great value to you. God bless you and max out everybody. This is the Ed Milett Show. Ed Milett is the premier, inspirational speaker,

life coach and peak performance expert in the United States today.